I took a step back. “You be sure to warn all your mighty friends that I don’t have very good eyesight, and if I catch anybody prowling around on my land at night, I could mistake him for a bear, shoot first, then ask questions later.”
The Sheriff bristled impotently. “Are you threatening to shoot one of the town folk?”
“No, I’m threatening to shoot any bear that comes onto my property.”
“Good, because if you cause any trouble in my town I’ll haul your ass behind those bars so fast, it’ll make your head spin,” he said, jerking his head towards a door where his lockup probably was.
The idea of the bloated worthless man hauling my ass off to his jailhouse was laughable. I smiled nastily. “If you don’t like your townspeople shot, I suggest you find my shooter before I find bears on my land.”
Then I turned around and got out of his office.
As I walked across the road to the pickup, I could see Lara’s white face through the windshield. She looked so lost and vulnerable that something inside me broke even more. I’d been lying to her. Soon I’d have to tell her the truth. I just hoped she’d take it better than I expected her to. I took the last few steps, opened the door, and climbed in.
“What did he say?” she asked cautiously. She obviously already knew exactly what the good Sheriff would say.
“He said he’d send his deputy around to look at the tracks, but he made sure I understood that nothing would come of his investigations. In his opinion too many people in this town own crossbows.”
She frowned, then fell strangely quiet.
“What’s the matter?”
“Will you drop me off at the library, Kit. I need to talk to Elaine.”
“I’ll hang around for you.”
“No, I have some chores to do as well. I’ll get Elaine to drop me off at your place later.”
“Nah, the roads are bad. I’ll drive back into town this afternoon for you.”
She nodded, but I could tell her mind was elsewhere. We drove to the library in silence. When I stopped the car, she turned towards me.
Her hand reached out and grabbed mine. She held it tightly. “Take care, darling. Drive safely.”
I got out and helped her get down. A woman in a black coat was watching us. She was frowning. I didn’t give a shit. I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her deeply.
When I raised my face, Lara smiled at me. There was something sad about her smile. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, Kit.”
“I hope you’ll always think that.”
She frowned slightly. “Is someone staring daggers at us?”
“Uh huh.”
“It’s a woman in her forties in a black coat and knitted hat, isn’t it?”
I glanced back at the biddy. If looks could kill … “Bang on target.”
“That’s Marybeth Luther, one of the town’s busybodies. I swear she’ll make me so angry one of these days, I’m gonna tell her to stop judging me because the way to God’s heart is the same as a man’s. On your knees.”
I smiled. I loved this woman. I think I’ve loved her from the time I saw her get out of that blue Toyota. It’s easy for people who have many distractions to scoff at the concept of love at first sight. That must be what happened to me. I took one look at this fresh, young, exciting, innocent, sweet girl and fell like a ton of bricks. Until she came I’d fooled myself into believing I needed no one.
“Tell her anyway,” I said softly.
“Okay, you better go. I’ll see you later.”
“No, I’ll wait here until you go into the library.”
She shook her head. “I need to do some grocery shopping first. Go on. Let me wave to you.”
“I’ll see you at my house about three o’clock,” she said.
“See you later,” I said softly.
I left her by the side of the truck and went back in. I watched her wave until I could no longer see her in my rear view mirror.
Thirty-seven
Lara
I didn’t go to the grocery store, and I didn’t have any errands to run. I shook my cane out and went back the same way we came, back to the Sheriff’s office. The pavement was icy and treacherous so I walked slowly. When I opened the door to his office, he was about to go home. He was standing by the coat rack.
“Lara,” he said, his voice lacking any warmth at all.
“Hello Sheriff.”
“I was just about to leave for another meeting, but what can I do for you?”
I walked to his desk and sat opposite his empty chair. Sighing audibly, he placed his hat down on the table, and lowered himself into his chair. “Right. Let’s hear it.”
“The person who shot the wolf was Sawyer Bennet,” I said.
The silence that followed was so profound that the expression you could have heard a pin drop became true.
“Sawyer,” he repeated incredulously when he got over his deep shock. “He couldn’t hurt a fly if it was shitting on his nose.”
“He’s not what you think he is,” I insisted.
“Well, what is he?” he taunted.
“He’s hidden. He’s angry, and resentful, and devious. Very devious.”
“On what basis are you making this very serious allegation?”
I swallowed. “Because he told me he was going to show Kit.”
“Show Kit?” he echoed.
“He was going to punish him,” I said impatiently. I knew he was being deliberately obtuse. He was trying to make me feel that I was being stupid or irrational.
“Punish him for what?”
“For being with me.”
“Why should Sawyer Bennet care who you’re with?”
“Because he’s in love with me.”
Sheriff Bradley coughed politely. “Lara, are you aware that Sawyer is about to feature in the Haverbrooke’s family portrait?”
“Yes, but he confessed to me that he’s in love with me, and he’s just marrying her for the money,” I cried. I could see that, just as I had expected, I was getting nowhere. I even sounded completely crazy to my own ears.
The Sheriff cleared his throat. “Look, Lara. I know Sawyer is prettier than a sugar lump, and every unmarried gal this side of the river is secretly sweet on him, but don’t you think you’re carrying this too far.”
“I’m not telling a story,” I almost shouted with frustration.
“I’m not calling you a liar, buttercup, but is it possible that you could have misheard, or … misunderstood?”
“I’m blind, Sheriff Bradley, not stupid.”
“It’s my job to look out for you, but I won’t be able to protect you if you insist on practicing bein’ married to Carson, and go around making all kinds of outlandish accusations. Have you told Carson what you just told me?”
“No.”
“Good. I suggest you don’t. We can’t have everyone taking the law into their own hands. He’s not proper civilized, that Carson. He’s got the makings of a hothead. So you leave it to me. I’ll conduct a proper investigation into the matter.”
“Will you talk to Sawyer?”
“If I find any evidence to implicate him, I’ll do more than talk to him. You can be right sure of that.”
“I want you to tell him that if he doesn’t stop coming around to Old Man’s Creek and causing trouble, I’ll call old man Haverbrooke myself.”
At the mention of the Haverbrooke name the very air in the room changed, became colder than a frog’s behind.
“I wouldn’t advise that course of action, Lara. Mr. Haverbrooke is a very busy man, and he doesn’t take kindly to unfounded, unproven slurs to his family name.”
“Well, I’m not lying,” I cried hotly. “You can believe me or not, but I wanted it noted that I came here and told you that Sawyer Bennet is dangerous and needs to be stopped.”
“My cat is more danger
ous than Sawyer. I don’t know where you got the impression that he’s dangerous, or in love with you, but he looks like a very happy soon-to-be-groom to me.”
“I think you’ll find that he owns a crossbow.”
“I think you should stop poking about in other people’s business.” His voice had lost that honeyed cajoling tone and was downright stern.
“I’ll lay money that you’ll find he was there last night. You’ll see his shoe prints and his tire tracks in the snow.”
“It’s possible he was out hunting around Old Man’s Creek, but that’s not exactly a crime,” he said calmly.
“It’s not hunting season,” I retorted angrily.
“It’s getting late. You better run on home, or back to Carson if that’s where you’re heading.”
I stood up, frustrated, furious, and helpless. “You won’t do anything about what I’ve just told you, will you?”
“I will. As soon as I get some evidence,” he said calmly. “I can’t go cautioning people on the say-so of a slip of a girl.”
I nodded. “Fine. I will take care of this myself.”
“Take a bit of fatherly advice from me, young lady. Stay away from Sawyer and his family. Don’t think I won’t put you behind bars just because you’re blind.”
“Thank you for your time, Sheriff. You’ve been most helpful,” I said through clenched teeth, and stormed out of his office.
Outside, it was snowing lightly. Light flakes fell on my face. I turned towards the high street. Jimbo, the guy from whom I bought most of my wood pieces for my art, stopped his pickup to ask if I wanted a lift home.
“Thanks,” I said, and got into his overly hot truck, with its smell of damp dog, and the sound of windshield wipers swishing.
“You look damn near frozen, girl.”
“It’s cold,” I agreed.
“It’s about to turn colder than my mother-in-law’s heart tonight,” he said.
“Jimbo,” I said, “you hunt, don’t ya?”
“Sure do.”
“Do you ever hunt with Sawyer?”
“Keen shot, he is, but I haven’t been out shooting with him ever since he got that corncob stuck up his ass, pardon my French.”